Nunavut elder van project ‘hasn’t panned out’ as planned, premier admits

Akeeagok says ‘lessons learned’ from $1M purchase of 5 vehicles that are yet to get rolling

Premier P.J. Akeeagok, left, lends an arm to Martha Tikivik as the pair descend from a new elders van in Iqaluit last October. Four months after the pilot project was announced, the vans are still not in service. (File photo by Jeff Pelletier)

Premier P.J. Akeeagok says there are lessons to be learned as the elder mobility van project he announced nearly a year ago is yet to get rolling.

During question period in the legislative assembly Wednesday, he was once again asked about the vans.

Akeeagok announced last October — almost a year ago — the Nunavut government purchased five vans at a cost of $1 million and shipped them to Iqaluit, Cambridge Bay, Coral Harbour, Pangnirtung and Rankin Inlet.

While making the announcement in Iqaluit, Akeeagok posed for photos helping an elder out of the van.

Northern Future Skills Development was recruited as the main proponent to operate the vans, in partnership with Arctic Training Ltd. and Caribou Cabs.

Responding to a question from Rankin Inlet North-Chesterfield Inlet MLA Alexander Sammurtok, Akeeagok confirmed the proponent has not secured funding to begin operating the vans.

“It hasn’t panned out to the way we wanted,” the premier said.

“As we have heard directly from the owners of these vans, they continue to seek federal funding as well as other funding to operationalize these vans, but to date they have not been successful.”

It’s not the first time Akeeagok has faced questions in the legislature over this project.

In February, Arviat South MLA Joe Savikataaq brought up the vans, calling their rollout a “million-dollar photo op.”

Speaking with reporters after Wednesday’s legislative sitting, Akeeagok said April’s federal election was a factor in delaying funding for the vans project. The federal budget, usually tabled in the spring, will instead be presented this fall.

Akeeagok said the vans were purchased to meet an urgent need to provide accessible transportation for elders, and he hopes to see them operating soon.

“We all heard from the elders of the urgency, and it’s from that angle that we were pushed hard to make that happen,” Akeeagok said.

“I think we all would love to see the vans operate in every community and that’s still the vision, but we will look back in terms of the lessons learned.”